“Rhetoric is the art of ruling the minds of men,” said the Plato, the famous philosopher.

Rhetoric and rhetorical devices are what a writer or speaker can use to evoke an emotional response and to persuade the reader/audience to view or consider an idea, concept, or point of view from a new perspective.

Rhetoric and rhetorical devices require an understanding of what the writer or speaker communicates through language and how the writer or speaker communicates the content or language. This difference was stated by Aristotle who pointed out that rhetoric is based on logos (the logical content of a speech) and lexis (the style and delivery of a speech).

According to Aristotle, the writer or speaker can persuade his/her audience by providing proof. There are three kinds of proof: